Barrier Dam Campgrounds, Northern Cascade Range, Washington

If you fish, you can't beat the location of this campground to Barrier Dam or Blue Creek on the Cowlitz. If you don't fish, I have absolutely no idea why you would put up with this campground when there are so many nicer ones in the area with better facilities, well maintained, and customer service that

doesn't make you want to pull out before you've even pulled in. I've stayed here twice. If the second time hadn't been with a group, I wouldn't have come back (and I won't be back again after my last trip). In 4 days we rolled over

$4k into the place and were still treated like we were an inconvenience. Management nickles and dimes you for every little thing and they're not very friendly when they're doing it. The campground isn't clean and they obviously don't put much of the money they're collecting back into the place. Bathrooms are out of order and missing toilet paper constantly, picnic tables are falling apart, their rates are outrageous for what you get, there are a bunch of junkie

campers and trailers on-site that make the whole place look trashy, and on top of all that, there's a ''security'' gate in the front which means you have to get out of your car every time you want to enter or exit. And from what I've

seen, the security guard is only there to make sure no one comes to visit you at the campground without paying their mandatory $5 entry fee. The place has been for sale forever. With any luck someone will come along and buy it and make it into the top-notch recreation destination it could be. Until then, save your $$$ Says FishHawk (Fri, 30 Jul 2010)

Go for a great swim at Barrier Dam Campgrounds, it's invigorating; also enjoy golfing here.